Releasable bearing for crucibles or converters



1967 V P. METZ ETAL RELEASABLE BEARING FOR CRUCIBLES 0R CONVERTERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 23, 1964 FIG. lc

INVENTORS: PAU L M E TZ PETER PUX KANDL THEIR ATTORNEYS Dec. 12, 1967 V p METZ T I 3,357,691

RELEASABLE BEARING FOR CRUCIBLES OR CONVERTERS Filed Sept. 23, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 7.:

FIG. 20 I 1 /6. 2b

INVENTORS: PAUL METZ PETER PUXKANDL M zi m M THEIR ATTORNEYS Dec. 12, 1967 p M L 3,357,691

RELEAS ABLE BEARING FOR CRUCIBLES OR CONVERTERS Filed Sept. 23, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS: PAU L M ETZ PgTER PUXKANDL Y m. @JwmM THEIR ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,357,691 RELEASABLE BEARING FOR CRUCIBLES 0R CONVERTERS Paul Metz, Duedelingen, Luxembourg, and Peter Puxkandl, Linz, Austria, assignors to Vereinigte Osterreichische Eisenund Stahlwerke Aktiengesellschaft, Linz, Austria, a corporation of Austria Filed Sept. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 398,675 Claims priority, application Austria, Sept. 27, 1963, A 7,787/63 5 Claims. (Cl. 266-35) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a releasable support for metal refining vessels including a trunnion ring having at least an inner periphery of polygonal cross-section including a plurality of sides and corners for supporting a refining vessel having upper and lower pairs of supports thereon which engage the sides of the trunnion ring in one rotated position of the refining vessel relative to the ring and are free of engagement with the trunnion ring when the supports on the refining vessel are rotated into substantial alignment with the corners of the polygonal periphery to enable the refining vessel either to be lifted out of or lowered through the trunnion ring.

tory lining. A carrying ring is arranged around the shell approximately in the height of the center of gravity, so

as to assure the bearing of the crucible, which ring is rigidly connected with two trunnions. By means of electromechanic or hydraulic drives acting on the trunnions the crucible must be tiltable from the nearly vertical blowing position to the bottom-up position for emptying and back again. For this purpose the crucible is supported on the carrying ring by means of a number of claws spaced around the periphery of the shell of the crucible and suitably arranged in pairs. In known constructions these claws consist of angular brackets fixed to the crucible shell with a flange or leg, while the other flange or leg projecting from the crucible wall rests against the carrier ring on the top and bottom surfaces thereof.

In the practical operation of steel mills usually several crucibles are arranged in a row one beside the other, the crucibles working in a cycle system, one being charged, for instance, while one or two others blow and a further crucible is tapped, etc. because in this manner the most rational and quick operation can be achieved. The lining of the crucibles having to be renewed from time to time, it is endeavoured to have the lining renewed at a place remote from the blowing stands, so as to avoid the blowing stand in question having to be shut down during the overhaul of the crucible. Therefore, it has already been proposed to have the refining vessel replaceably suspended in the frame and to remove the crucible, if required, from the blowing stand to the relining stand or to a reserve stand by means of a transfer vehicle and to hang a newly lined crucible into the frame which has become available. Known replaceable crucible carrier constructions consist, for instance, of a frame which is open on one side and has an approximately horseshoe-like shape.

The object of the present invention is to provide a carrier body construction which is improved in comparison with the open frame in static respects and allows an exchangeable or releasable bearing of crucibles or converters, at the same time guaranteeing an equally high operational safety during tilting and emptying of the crucible, as has been the case with roundabout closed, nonremovable carrier constructions.

This object of the invention is achieved by means of a closed carrier body arranged around the periphery of the crucible, on which the crucible is supported by means of supporting means. In accordance with the invention the refining vessel is turnable within the carrier body, the crucible being suspendible into and engaging with the carrier body in at least one angular position and releasable from the suspended position in at least one other angular position.

This detachable mounting of the crucible in the carrier ring is advantageously accomplished by such a shape of the carrier body, approximating the shape of a triangle, a square or a polygon, that the carrier ring will abut on or be adjacent to at least three, preferably four, points spaced around the periphery of the crucible and defined by the disposition of the supporting means (claws), whereas at the intermediate points there is such a distance between the carrier body and the crucible wall that in a suitably adjusted angular position the supporting means can pass through the space between the carrier body and the crucible wall.

In a service-proved embodiment the carrier ring has an approximately square shape with rounded-off corners, the clear diagonal interspace being larger than the outer diameter of the crucible plus the horizontal extension of the supporting means.

The lower series of supporting means provided on the crucible wall may suitably be designed as a series of flap brackets. This has the advantage of easy removal and that any jamming caused by heat warping, which would render the rotation of the crucible difiicult, is eliminated.

The invention is explained in more detail in the drawings by way of several exemplary embodiments. FIG. 1 shows three top views of blowing stands with carrier rings suspended in the frames and crucibles fixed therein, wherein the carrier rings have different shapes and are destined for a three-point, four-point and multi-point support. vFIG. 2. illustrates in six successive phases, a, b, c, d, e and f, the replacement of a crucible from a carrier construction and the removal to the relining stand by means of a transporting and lifting car.

In FIG. 1, numeral 1 denotes the carrier ring; according to FIG. in it approximates the shape of a triangle, according to FIG. 1b that of a square and according to FIG. it that of a hexagon, each with rounded-off corners. The carrier ring is connected with two trunnions 2 and 3, which are supported in the bearings 4 and 5. Numeral 6 designates the connecting shaft to the tilting drive 7. The crucible is secured by means of three pairs (FIG. 1a), four pairs (FIG. lb), or six pairs (FIG. 10), respectively, of supporting means 8 within the carrier ring 1. The supporting means are designed as upper brackets or claws 9 and lower flap brackets 10 and but from above and below against the carrier ring 1 (FIG. 2a). It is evident that the carrier ring comes so close to those points of the crucible wall which carry the pairs of brackets that a load-transmitting support between the pairs of brackets is achieved. At the intermediate points, i.e., in the respective corner areas, there is a space a between the crucible vvall and the carrier ring, which is so large that the crucible can slip out of the carrier ring when turned into the proper angular position. This clearance 12 thus must be larger than the horizontal extension of the supporting means.

FIG. 2 illustrates the phases of replacement. According to FIG. 2a a transporting and lifting car H having a chassis 11, a carrier device 12, a frame 13 and thrustors 14 is moved under the crucible T. By means of the 3 thrustors, which may, e.g., be designed as hydraulic rams, the frame 13 can be supported against the floor and lifted and lowered in the supported position together with the chassis and the carrier. device 12. The chassis and the car-.

rier device, which form a unit together, are furthermore rotatable horizontally within the frame 13. According to FIG. 2b the hydraulic rams are extended, the chassis and carrier device are lifted until they come off the rails and turned through the angle of release, which, when using, e.g., a square carrier ring (FIG. 1c), amounts to 45. According to FIG. 20, the frame with the chassis and the carrier device is lifted further, after the flap brackets have been unlocked by hinging back, until the bottom part of the crucible is taken up by the carrier device, the bottom faces 15 of the lower claws being supported against the ring surface 16 of the carrier device. Further lifting follows, until the upper claws come to lie 150 mm. above the carrier ring 1. According to FIG. 2d, chassis, carrier device and the crucible T resting thereon are then turned back. In this position the chassis now has the same direction as in FIG. 2a, whereas the crucible is turned, compared with the position in FIG. 1, by the angle of release. According to FIG. 2e, the frame with the chassis, the carrier installation and the crucible is lowered, until contact is again established with the rails. According to FIG. 2 the thrustors are retracted and the carrier ring 1 is tilted so that the transporting and lifting car can be moved out of the blowing stand with the crucible T in the direction of the arrow.

What we claim is:

1. A releasable mounting for a refining vessel comprising a carrier body adapted to be disposed around the vessel and having an inner periphery of polygonal shape having sides and cornerstherebetween, at least three upper supporting means secured to the vessel in spaced relation therearound corresponding to the number of sides of said inner periphery and lower supporting means equal in number to said upper means secured to and in spaced relation around the vessel in alignment with said upper supporting means, said vessel being angularly displaceable with respect to said body from a first position wherein the medial portions of the sides of said inner periphery of said body are in engagement with said supporting means to support the vessel on said body into a second position wherein the sides of the body are clear of the upper supporting means to permit axial displacement between the body and the vessel.

2. A releasable mounting as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inner periphery of said carrier body is substantially triangular.

3. A releasable mounting as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inner periphery of said carrier body is substantially square.

4. A releasable mounting according to claim 1 wherein said inner periphery of said sides of the body are clear of the upper supporting means when the position of the corners of the body corresponds to theposition of said upper supporting means.

5. A releasablemounting' for a refining vessel comprising a trunnion ring for supporting said vessel, said trunnion ring having an inner periphery of polygonal shape including substantially straight sides and connecting corners, pairs of upper and lower supporting members on said vessel extending outwardly therefrom, said supporting members overlapping said trunnion ring when said supporting members are directed toward said sides to support said vessel on said trunnion ring, and said supporting means being disposed inwardly of said corners to release said vessel from said trunnion ring when said vessel is rotated relative to said trunnion ring to direct said supporting members toward said corners.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,327,078 8/1943: Teetor 2483l1.X 2,754,625 7/ 1956 Rasmussen 4741.1 3,000,621 9/1961 Puxkandl 266--36 X 3,182,979 5/1965 Krause 266-36 X 3,191,922 6/1965 Puhringer 266-36 J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner.

E. MAR, Assistant Examiner. 

5. A RELEASABLE MOUNTING FOR A REFINING VESSEL COMPRISING A TRUNNION RING FOR SUPPORTING SAID VESSEL, SAID TRUNNION RING HAVING AN INNER PERIPHERY OF POLYGONAL SHAPE INCLUDING SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT SIDES AND CONNECTING CORNERS, PAIRS OF UPPER AND LOWER SUPPORTING MEMBERS ON SAID VESSEL EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID SUPPORTING MEMBERS OVERLAPPING SAID TRUNNION RING WHEN SAID SUPPORTING MEMBERS ARE DIRECTED TOWARD SAID SIDES TO SUPPORT SAID VESSEL ON SAID TRUNNION RING, AND SAID SUPPORTING MEANS BEING DISPOSED INWARDLY OF SAID CORNERS TO RELEASE SAID VESSEL FROM SAID TRUNNION RING WHEN SAID VESSEL IS ROTATED RELATIVE TO SAID TRUNNION RING TO DIRECT SAID SUPPORTING MEMBERS TOWARD SAID CORNERS. 